Descripción:Flight AZ-660 to Montreal, Canada departed Rome-Fiumicino Airport, Italy at 13:15. An intermediate stop was planned at Milan-Malpensa Airport. The airplane climbed in VMC to the en route altitude of FL220. The en route part of the flight was uneventful.While descending to the south of the airport, preparing for an approach to runway 35, the aircraft entered IMC with heavy turbulence due to the presence of a thunderstorm in the area.About 13:59 the flight was cleared from 9000 feet down to 4000 feet for a straight-in approach. Three minutes later the pilot advised that he would make a 360 degree turn over the beacon as the aircraft was at 6000 feet. On completion of the turn, at an altitude of 1500 feet, the flight continued on runway heading and descending.At 14:06 the flight crew became unsure of their position and almost immediately the airplane struck a wooded hillside 11,5 km north of Milan runway 35.

PROBABLE CAUSE: "Insufficient checking of flight times during the final portion of the approach; Positioning for final approach by means of a non standard procedure; Delayed detection of the VOR radial or wrong selection of such radial; Broken view of terrain north of the airport similar to that south of the airport."

Fuentes:

» ICAO Summary No.24

Fotos

Map

This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path. Distance from Roma-Fiumicino Airport to Milano-Malpensa Airport as the crow flies is 507 km (317 miles).

This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.